University extensions key to bringing innovations from the lab to the field
CARY, N.C., April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eastern North Carolina farmers face threats from flooding, increased soil salinity and saltwater intrusion that destroy crops, endanger livestock and damage expensive farm equipment. To help address these challenges, researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State), the NC State Plant Sciences Initiative and East Carolina University (ECU) are collaborating with data and AI leader SAS on a pilot project exploring affordable, field-ready agricultural sensor systems designed to deliver timely, data-driven insights to growers.
In just the last two years, weather events like Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal have caused extensive crop losses for North Carolina farmers. Additionally, increased soil salinity, which can be driven by poor drainage, high evaporation or dry conditions, makes large swaths of land unusable for farming. Having even a small amount of additional time to prepare for flooding, or a better understanding of the extent of saltwater intrusion and salinity increases, can save significant money for an industry where profitability margins can be razor-thin.
But timely field data to confront these challenges has been elusive, until now. A groundbreaking pilot in Hyde County (NC) is joining NC State and ECU researchers with SAS experts to deploy affordable sensors measuring water depth, soil moisture and salinity in real time. This data, along with current and forecasted weather, will feed into a model, powered by SAS® Analytics for IoT, for identifying areas most likely to flood, helping farmers safeguard crops, equipment and livestock, manage drainage and mitigate risks from changing soil salinity.
Innovative collaborations bringing power of data to farmers
The flood resiliency project grew out of a presentation at the 2025 SAS Innovate conference about real-time flood prediction modeling in Cary, NC. In attendance was NC State Ag Analytics Platform Manager, Brad Lewis, who wondered how this technology, and an existing partnership with SAS, could help protect vulnerable farmland. Dr. Ciprian Popoviciu, director of the Center for IoT Engineering and Innovation at ECU, was already working on low-cost sensors with the Hyde County Extension agent, Andrea Gibbs, making the county an ideal location for a pilot project.
“This project leverages the strengths and expertise of everyone involved and creates opportunities to learn from one another throughout the process. This has resulted in a project that has the potential to be incredibly impactful for Hyde County growers,” said Gibbs.
NC State and ECU previously teamed up to develop a saltwater intrusion first alert notification system for farmers across the state’s Tidewater region.
“Our down east counties are fighting an uphill battle against saltwater and flooding ruining farmland,” said Popoviciu. “The sensor arrays we’ve put in place will automate soil salinity monitoring that has historically been a lengthy, manual process that could not scale to meet the needs of local farmers. The sensors, combined with real-time analytics, will provide farmers a more detailed view of the extent of saltwater intrusion, and where it will happen next. These sensor arrays are also acting as early warning stations, helping farmers plan for and respond to flooding.”
The project uses the Ag Analytics Platform, the product of a joint collaboration between NC State, SAS and North Carolina A&T University. Built on SAS’ flagship data and AI platform, SAS® Viya®, the Ag Analytics Platform was designed to develop new solutions and integrate existing ones for storing, analyzing and maintaining large-scale datasets and data repositories for agricultural improvement.
“Being able to predict the flooding of an area is only just the beginning,” said Lewis. “Farmers will be provided with real-time actionable insights that will allow them to make decisions that protect their livelihood.”
Bringing innovation to the field
Technology can only take things so far. University extension played a key role in catalyzing the collaboration of NC State, ECU and SAS, serving as a bridge between academic researchers, technology partners and growers. By connecting on-the-ground needs with research expertise and analytics capabilities, the initiative aims to help ensure that scientific advances are applied in ways that directly support agricultural production.
As the project develops and expands to other counties, these data-driven tools will help aid in faster decisions on the farm, boosting an agricultural sector that annually contributes $111 billion to the state’s economy.
“Farmers and growers are the backbone of the state’s economy, but face increasing threats from drastic weather changes, like persistent droughts and generational floods,” said Tyson Echentile, Global Lead, IoT Solutions, SAS. “Low-cost and easily deployed soil and weather sensors, feeding into a sophisticated IoT analytics environment, will help them prepare for and endure nature’s extremes.”
Echentile will be part of a panel on breakthrough innovations in flood resilience, Wednesday, April 8 at the ClimateTech Connect conference in Washington, DC.
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